Relief \Re*lief"\ (r?-l?f"), n. [OE. relef, F. relief, properly,
a lifting up, a standing out. See Relieve, and cf.
Basrelief, Rilievi.]
1. The act of relieving, or the state of being relieved; the
removal, or partial removal, of any evil, or of anything
oppressive or burdensome, by which some ease is obtained;
succor; alleviation; comfort; ease; redress.
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He sees the dire contagion spread so fast,
That, where it seizes, all relief is vain. --Dryden.
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2. Release from a post, or from the performance of duty, by
the intervention of others, by discharge, or by relay; as,
a relief of a sentry.
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For this relief much thanks; 'tis bitter cold.
--Shak.
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3. That which removes or lessens evil, pain, discomfort,
uneasiness, etc.; that which gives succor, aid, or
comfort; also, the person who relieves from performance of
duty by taking the place of another; a relay.
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4. (Feudal Law) A fine or composition which the heir of a
deceased tenant paid to the lord for the privilege of
taking up the estate, which, on strict feudal principles,
had lapsed or fallen to the lord on the death of the
tenant.
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5. (Sculp. & Arch.) The projection of a figure above the
ground or plane on which it is formed.
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Note: Relief is of three kinds, namely, high relief({altorilievo), low relief, ({basso-rilievo}), and
demirelief+({mezzo-rilievo">demirelief ({mezzo-rilievo). See these terms in the
Vocabulary.
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6. (Paint.) The appearance of projection given by shading,
shadow, etc., to any figure.
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7. (Fort.) The height to which works are raised above the
bottom of the ditch. --Wilhelm.
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8. (Physical Geog.) The elevations and surface undulations of
a country. --Guyot.
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Relief valve, a valve arranged for relieving pressure of
steam, gas, or liquid; an escape valve.
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Syn: Alleviation; mitigation; aid; help; succor; assistance;
remedy; redress; indemnification.
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High \High\, a. [Compar. Higher; superl. Highest.] [OE.
high, hegh, hey, heh, AS. he['a]h, h?h; akin to OS. h?h,
OFries. hag, hach, D. hoog, OHG. h?h, G. hoch, Icel. h?r, Sw.
h["o]g, Dan. h["o]i, Goth. hauhs, and to Icel. haugr mound,
G. h["u]gel hill, Lith. kaukaras.]
1. Elevated above any starting point of measurement, as a
line, or surface; having altitude; lifted up; raised or
extended in the direction of the zenith; lofty; tall; as,
a high mountain, tower, tree; the sun is high.
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2. Regarded as raised up or elevated; distinguished;
remarkable; conspicuous; superior; -- used indefinitely or
relatively, and often in figurative senses, which are
understood from the connection; as
(a) Elevated in character or quality, whether moral or
intellectual; pre["e]minent; honorable; as, high aims,
or motives. "The highest faculty of the soul."
--Baxter.
(b) Exalted in social standing or general estimation, or
in rank, reputation, office, and the like; dignified;
as, she was welcomed in the highest circles.
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He was a wight of high renown. --Shak.
(c) Of noble birth; illustrious; as, of high family.
(d) Of great strength, force, importance, and the like;
strong; mighty; powerful; violent; sometimes,
triumphant; victorious; majestic, etc.; as, a high
wind; high passions. "With rather a high manner."
--Thackeray.
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Strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
--Ps. lxxxix.
13.
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Can heavenly minds such high resentment show?
--Dryden.
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(e) Very abstract; difficult to comprehend or surmount;
grand; noble.
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Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
--Shak.
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Plain living and high thinking are no more.
--Wordsworth.
(f) Costly; dear in price; extravagant; as, to hold goods
at a high price.
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If they must be good at so high a rate, they
know they may be safe at a cheaper. --South.
(g) Arrogant; lofty; boastful; proud; ostentatious; --
used in a bad sense.
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An high look and a proud heart . . . is sin.
--Prov. xxi.
4.
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His forces, after all the high discourses,
amounted really but to eighteen hundred foot.
--Clarendon.
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3. Possessing a characteristic quality in a supreme or
superior degree; as, high (i. e., intense) heat; high (i.
e., full or quite) noon; high (i. e., rich or spicy)
seasoning; high (i. e., complete) pleasure; high (i. e.,
deep or vivid) color; high (i. e., extensive, thorough)
scholarship, etc.
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High time it is this war now ended were. --Spenser.
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High sauces and spices are fetched from the Indies.
--Baker.
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4. (Cookery) Strong-scented; slightly tainted; as, epicures
do not cook game before it is high.
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5. (Mus.) Acute or sharp; -- opposed to grave or low; as,
a high note.
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6. (Phon.) Made with a high position of some part of the
tongue in relation to the palate, as [=e] ([=e]ve), [=oo]
(f[=oo]d). See Guide to Pronunciation, [sect][sect] 10,
11.
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High admiral, the chief admiral.
High altar, the principal altar in a church.
High and dry, out of water; out of reach of the current or
tide; -- said of a vessel, aground or beached.
High and mighty arrogant; overbearing. [Colloq.]
High art, art which deals with lofty and dignified subjects
and is characterized by an elevated style avoiding all
meretricious display.
High bailiff, the chief bailiff.
High Church, & Low Church, two ecclesiastical parties in
the Church of England and the Protestant Episcopal Church.
The high-churchmen emphasize the doctrine of the apostolic
succession, and hold, in general, to a sacramental
presence in the Eucharist, to baptismal regeneration, and
to the sole validity of Episcopal ordination. They attach
much importance to ceremonies and symbols in worship.
Low-churchmen lay less stress on these points, and, in
many instances, reject altogether the peculiar tenets of
the high-church school. See Broad Church.
High constable (Law), a chief of constabulary. See
Constable, n., 2.
High commission court, a court of ecclesiastical
jurisdiction in England erected and united to the regal
power by Queen Elizabeth in 1559. On account of the abuse
of its powers it was abolished in 1641.
High day (Script.), a holy or feast day. --John xix. 31.
High festival (Eccl.), a festival to be observed with full
ceremonial.
High German, or High Dutch. See under German.
High jinks, an old Scottish pastime; hence, noisy revelry;
wild sport. [Colloq.] "All the high jinks of the county,
when the lad comes of age." --F. Harrison.
High latitude (Geog.), one designated by the higher
figures; consequently, a latitude remote from the equator.
High life, life among the aristocracy or the rich.
High liver, one who indulges in a rich diet.
High living, a feeding upon rich, pampering food.
High Mass. (R. C. Ch.) See under Mass.
High milling, a process of making flour from grain by
several successive grindings and intermediate sorting,
instead of by a single grinding.
High noon, the time when the sun is in the meridian.
High place (Script.), an eminence or mound on which
sacrifices were offered.
High priest. See in the Vocabulary.
High relief. (Fine Arts) See Alto-rilievo.
High school. See under School.
High seas (Law), the open sea; the part of the ocean not in
the territorial waters of any particular sovereignty,
usually distant three miles or more from the coast line.
--Wharton.
High steam, steam having a high pressure.
High steward, the chief steward.
High tea, tea with meats and extra relishes.
High tide, the greatest flow of the tide; high water.
High time.
(a) Quite time; full time for the occasion.
(b) A time of great excitement or enjoyment; a carousal.
[Slang]
High treason, treason against the sovereign or the state,
the highest civil offense. See Treason.
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Note: It is now sufficient to speak of high treason as
treason simply, seeing that petty treason, as a
distinct offense, has been abolished. --Mozley & W.
High water, the utmost flow or greatest elevation of the
tide; also, the time of such elevation.
High-water mark.
(a) That line of the seashore to which the waters
ordinarily reach at high water.
(b) A mark showing the highest level reached by water in a
river or other body of fresh water, as in time of
freshet.
High-water shrub (Bot.), a composite shrub ({Iva
frutescens), growing in salt marshes along the Atlantic
coast of the United States.
High wine, distilled spirits containing a high percentage
of alcohol; -- usually in the plural.
To be on a high horse, to be on one's dignity; to bear
one's self loftily. [Colloq.]
With a high hand.
(a) With power; in force; triumphantly. "The children of
Israel went out with a high hand." --Ex. xiv. 8.
(b) In an overbearing manner, arbitrarily. "They governed
the city with a high hand." --Jowett (Thucyd. ).
Syn: Tall; lofty; elevated; noble; exalted; supercilious;
proud; violent; full; dear. See Tall.
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